Israel’s push for tough sanctions on Iran took two steps forward and one step back Thursday.

The long-awaited signal that Moscow was starting to cooperate with Washington’s push for sanctions on Iran came from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who said the world should offer incentives to help Iran make the “right decision” on nuclear weapons. That was the first step forward. “Our task is to maintain a system of incentives allowing Iran to use peaceful nuclear energy but (we) will not allow the creation of nuclear weapons,” Medvedev said. Second step forward. What does Russia want to go that extra step?
Russia wants America to repeal Bush-era policies. They want an end to Cold War terms of missile shields and NATO expansion. The missile shield nuisance they already got rid of. Moscow really hates the idea of NATO expansion, and they want it reversed. Russia also wants progress on reduction of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS). In compensation for cooperating on Iran sanctions, Russia wants alternate markets for its nuclear and gas energy products, as well as its military industries. This is a tall order, but there are opportunities for the West to tempt Moscow with. According to AP, the worldwide economic downturn has hit Russia’s oil and gas exports; the Kremlin is looking at foreign investors to help with its huge untapped resources. Continue reading →